BMW . . .

. . . check.

I didn't particularly want a BMW, but we need a second car for me to drive to work.

People rotating in from the U.S. usually buy a "Naples car" from someone rotating out. Why? Because the natives here believe all rules of the road are optional, and that driving is a contact sport. We don't want to beat our new Escape to death, so the BMW is the sacrificial lamb.

It's a 1997 316i with a 5-speed manual gearbox and drives very nicely. It should get us by for three years, then it's up for sale again.

Our house . . .

. . . is a very, very, very fine house.
(with aplogies to C, S, N & Y)

I'm not bragging here, because I had nothing to do with the design. Mrs. B and I are just tenants. However, compared to some of the others we were shown, it is truly a very fine house.

It should only be a few weeks until a platoon of Italian movers show up, and we have to figure out where to put everything. My university psychology prof would have called this an approach-avoidance conflict.

The front entrance, with the garage underneath.

Front gate, patio and entrance.

The pool . . . eventually.

Main floor (level 2 of 4)

View from the top floor.

The garage. Does your garage have a tile floor?

Vuvuzelas . . .

. . . have another use.

I am not a big fan of soccer/futbol/calcistico/whatever. I know, I'm in Europe and I should "get with the program."

I can't.

I don't enjoy the game. I've tried, and it just holds no interest for me.

That opinion was sealed for me last night. I tuned in the US/UK match because the US men have not had a stellar record in the World Cup. I simply could not watch the entire match because of the insane South Africans and their damnable plastic horns.

Tradition or not, folks, you are RUINING the cup.

As for other use for the vuvuzelas, the "fans" can stick them up their collective arses and play me a hornpipe. That, I would watch.

Gooooooooooooooal . . .

. . . er . . . ooooooooooooops!

La Nostra Villa . . .

. . . I could have said "La Nostra Casa," but that would been confusing for affecianados of the "Godfather" trilogy. We seem to be about three weeks from move-in.

View from the driveway.

The pool - so far.

The island of Ischia and the Tyrrhenian Sea from the top floor balcony

My father . . .

. . . the Pacific, 1944.

He told me he never fired a shot in anger, nor did he receive one. He didn't storm a beach or charge a machine gun. He did, however, quit an exempt job in an ammunition plant in St. Louis to enlist. He was a good man.

22 SEP 1914 - 27 DEC 1991

Plus . . .

. . . and minus.

Plus: Our Ford Escape arrived today, exactly on time.

Plus: It was in exactly the same condition as when it was shipped. Not a ding or dent or scratch.

Minus: When I went to the depot to pick it up, the very nice lady at the front counter said: "We'll inspect it right after he hoses off the dust." Before I could say NOOOOOOO, I heard the spray from the hosed. Why would I say NOOOOOOOO, you ask? Well, because the water at NSA Naples is full of minerals. The water is so hard that you can drive nails with it. The water is so hard that it will stand up without a glass around it. Result? Sun-baked mineral spots everywhere. Everywhere on the new wax job I painstakingly completed the day before we shipped.

Plus: That aside, we finally have a comfortable, reliable vehicle to use.

Minus: The day before the car arrived, I received a recall notice in the mail.

Plus: Our express shipment also arrived today. It was shipped by air freight so we would receive it quickly.

Minus: It took one day longer by air than the car did by boat.

Minus: The shipping companies don't use wardrobes for clothes any longer. They take up too much room. So, how do they ship items like dress shirts and suits? They roll them up arond the hangars and toss them in the bottom of a packing box. Marino wool suits wrapped up like a painter's drop cloth and buried in a carton. Nice.

Plus: Uncle Sugar will pay for the laundry and drycleaning.

News flash . . .

The term "illegal aliens" will no longer be tolerated. The superceding term is "undocumented Democrats."

. . . we now return to our regular programming.

With all due respect . . .

. . . Sir Paul, shut up and sing!

I'm a big fan, he's a great guy. So lay off him, he's doing great.
- Paul McCartney on B. H. Obama

I don't know how you feel about someone coming into your house and criticizing it, but it doesn't sit very well with me. So, take your award, accept it gracefully, then stfu.

Thank you.

That is all.